Head Quarters 54 Regt ovi First Brigade

                                                            5^th Division     Memphis Tenn

                                                                                    Friday Evening Oct 24^th 1862

 

My Dear Wife

                        I am Seated alone in my quarters and there is nothing which I can content myself at to as much pleasure myself as in writing to you notwithstanding I have writen two or three times Since I have heard from you I thought certain I should hear from you to day but no mail came & So of cours I am disappointed But I think certain I shall hear from you tomorrow or Soon at the longest—Well Cinda I wish I was seated with you tonight I am sure I should not Go to Sleep for a good while and I think the time will son come that we will again be in eachothers society and I am resolved if we are to take more Comfort than we ever have taken before—Well you will Say why do you think we shall soon Be togather. well I will tell you. I saw Adjutant M^cCoy who is now Captain on General Shermans staff (He is a Mason) and a good one and he told me all about the Mater Nothing more than I had heard before But more Positive and sure he Saw my papers and they are all Right He says I was recommendid for an honorable Discharge for phisical inability and that the Papers Came Back From Gen Grant approved and had to be signed and Sent on to Washington and that they had gone and I have no doubt that it is so and if true they will be hear in the course of 2 Weeks or So sure I think and then perhaps I wont come home & then Perhaps the Grapes & Grape Pie wont Suffer/

 

But sometimes I think there is more pleasure in anticipation than there is in reality For tonight I feel first rate and perhaps Something may turn up to mar my Peace But I hope not—I am Generally lucky and I will now tell you how I am lucky—I have ben down town when I pleased and have hardly ever had a pass But Colonel Smith had had his Best hors Stole and last evening he wanted me to go to day and look for him and gave me a pass But last night he he found the horse But that dident hurt my Pass at all & this morning I concluded to go down town and if I hadent had my Pass instead of Being writing to you to night I should be keeping Company with 5 or 6 other of our officers in the Division Guardhouse Where I wouldent befor a Sweet little 50 Dollars. So that is all luck you see. The 6^th C Ioa Reg are provo Guard this week and they Snatch up evry officer that hasent a pass—There is a Regiment of Regulars Just came in and I learn they got 8 or 10 of them Last night Well all I have done today is to go down town and go out on dress perade. Tomorrow if I live I am officer of Camp guard. Capt. R is gone out on the lines he is officer of the day to day Lt Bauder has gone On the Picket to double the Picket Guard as we are expecting a dash Our Cavelry has ben out and distroyed a Rebil Camp and Raised thunder and we expect they will try to Cut off their Retreat But Gen Sherman has sent up Boats and they are comeing down on the River and I think the Rebils will Be fooled the worst kind this time Cutter he is sick and I am alone My little darkey is at play—His name is George how will we manage that/

 

Well Cinda I wish I had a chance to go into your Butry to night I think Something in the eating line would suffer for I am hungry as a Gray horse—Well Cinda have you got your Boxes yet if So what do you think of them I thought they were worth Sending I hope they will all come home safe if I come home I am going to Bring home a Barrell or two of Sweet Potatoes to give to my friends if I have got any But I dont Care whether I have any or not as I know of Election looks as if I would have some Political friends My Lord how I bore Richardson he gets mad as the Devil but he has to get over it I have got him where Kelsey had the Schoolmam and he darcent say a word—But when his Prety wife comes then will Be the times he has sold his horse to Dr Messenger for ($125⁰⁰) One hundred and twenty five dollars One of unkle sams horses sadles and Bridles and Sent home 2 Shotguns that he says is worth a hundred dollars more and he is mighty fraid I will Blow on him—When that Prety wife comes he is going to start an officers Boarding house Poor thing she cant attend to her own house But Can come hear and oversee a Boarding house But I guess that will Play out he is waiting for his friends to Send him a commition and I guess he will wate a good while first I hope so them things aint so easy got—Well I don’t know what I can say that will interest you But I must write Something How does Charles get along is he going to School or what is he at

 

Well it is geting Late and I must close and go to Bed O how much I think of home No one loves their home more than I do I think of you & Pet and thare is not many days but what I look at you both and I am the only marred man in this Regiment the officers are all single some who have 4 or 5 children at home

 

But I must close Tell Pet Pa wants to come home and kiss his Baby and stay to home with him and fetch a little Black Boy to Play Marble with him—the Darkies are great for playing Marble from Big to Little that is their Play and Pa will fetch him a Ball if he comes I cant say what he will fetch Ma she can guess

 

Well Cinda if you havent gone east befor this reaches you I hope you will give up going till you hear from me which I hope will be soon But the longer I stay the beter for us as long as my health is as good as it is at present I think with all my Losses I can save 300 Dollars that will help a little with that and good health I think we can Live without the army But I will close By Biding you good night and go to bed I wish you good night Pleasant dreams Kiss my Pet and take one or 2 to yourself

 

I Remain your sincere and affectionate

                        Husband GWBrowning Lt 54 Ovi

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